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QB Tua Tagovailoa announced his commitment to Alabama on Monday (Justin King/AL.com)
When Tua Tagovailoa takes the practice field for the first time in an Alabama uniform, be it in the spring of 2017 or that fall, he'll be the youngest and most inexperienced college quarterback on the roster.
He'll be five time zones away, but on the field, he'll be right at home. And he'll be pushing for a job he'll originally be an underdog in. He's been through that before.
Prior to his sophomore season, Tagovailoa wasn't supposed to be the starting quarterback at Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Hawaii. But he beat out returning senior and all-state quarterback Ryder Kuhns and the rest is history.
UCLA, Texas Tech and Hawaii offered that fall, and a host of west coast schools came calling in 2015, Tagovailoa's junior season. But he got the offer from Alabama in March, took a trip there with his father in April and committed to Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide on Monday.
Tagovailoa knows he'll compete with elite quarterbacks from each Alabama recruiting class.
"Competition's always good, but the biggest thing I like about coach Saban is that he gives everybody the opportunity to play," Tagovailoa said. "You start fresh throughout the new season and although you're a starter this season, you've still got to compete for your job next season."
That's the approach Tagovailoa took into his sophomore season at the same school that produced 2014 Heisman Trophy winner and current Tennessee Titans starting quarterback Marcus Mariota.
"Tua steps up his level of play when he's competing for something," Saint Louis quarterback coach Vince Passas said.
"He opened up the challenge and he really showed by his work ethic, trying to be the first guy out there and last guy to leave, first guy in conditioning sprints, try to take the first reps, steal some reps. The enthusiasm was something he fought for to win the job."
As a sophomore, Tagovailoa threw for 2,583 yards with 33 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also ran for 576 yards and eight touchdowns.
He threw for 2,932 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions as a junior, adding 481 rush yards and 11 touchdowns. Then, and going into his senior season, he had far outpaced any competition for his position.
"It was challenging one for me as his coach because there's really no one challenging him for that position," Passas said. "I felt that I really didn't get him better, in my opinion. You try to find ways to get quarterbacks better as a coach."
But the four-star quarterback, ranked as the No. 58 national recruit nationally and the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback, has plenty of tools to succeed, Passas said.
Passas noted Tagovailoa's size (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) and ability to self-motivate himself as big keys. Tagovailoa's instincts helps him create plays if the original reads break down, though Passas would like to see him stay within the offense a little bit more.
But on Friday nights, Tagovailoa is an extension of the coaching staff, going over previous plays with teammates and thinking ahead.
"When the lights come on, he goes into a different mode," Passas said. "He's just in a zone. He has great escapability."
Standing out early
Passas has coached quarterbacks for years, at the high school level and at camps.
He remembers Tagovailoa coming to those camps from ages 8-10, where the kids that age would be off away from the high school and college quarterbacks.
Tagovailoa would sneak over, "hide behind Marcus," Passas said, and show off his left arm then.
"He'd match dime for dime with everyone," Passas said. "Guys would notice that a 9-year-old kid made the throws they made. They'd try to chase him off. Marcus was a big influence on him letting him know it was alright to compete with the older kids. That's what makes him better, competing with better guys.
"I don't think (playing at Alabama) will be anything too great for him. He just needs his opportunity to perform."